New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are an American professional ice hockey team based in New York City that competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) and is a member club of the league's Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden, located in the borough of Manhattan, New York. The Rangers are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area, along with the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders. They are also one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise. They are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six (along with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs) The NY Rangers were the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup which they have done four times (most recently in the 1993–94 season. Team History Early Years George Lewis "Tex" Rickard (the president of Madison Square Garden) was awarded an NHL franchise for the 1926–27 season to compete with the now-defunct New York Americans, who had begun play at the Garden the previous season. The Americans (also known as the "Amerks") proved to be an even greater success than expected during their inaugural season, leading Rickard to pursue a second team for the Garden despite promising the Amerks that they would be the only hockey team to play there. The new team was quickly nicknamed "Tex's Rangers". Rickard's franchise began play in the 1926–27 season. The first team crest was a horse sketched in blue carrying a cowboy waving a hockey stick aloft, before being changed to the familiar "R-A-N-G-E-R-S" in diagonal. Rickard managed to get future legendary Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe to assemble the team. However, Smythe had a falling-out with Rickard's hockey man, Col. John S. Hammond and was fired as manager-coach on the eve of the first season. He was paid a then-hefty $2,500 to leave. Smythe was replaced by Pacific Coast Hockey Association co-founder Lester Patrick. The new team Smythe assembled turned out to be a winner. The Rangers won the American Division title their first year, but they lost to the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. The team's early success led to players becoming minor celebrities and fixtures in New York City's Roaring Twenties' nightlife. It was also during this time, playing at the Garden on 48th Street (blocks away from Times Square) that the Rangers obtained their now-famous nickname "The Broadway Blueshirts." On December 13, 1929, the New York Rangers became the first team in the NHL to travel by plane when they hired the Curtiss-Wright Corporation to fly them to Toronto for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which they would lose 7–6. 1927-1928 Stanley Cup In only their second season, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Maroons three games to two. One of the most memorable stories that emerged from the Finals involved Patrick playing in goal at the age of 44. At the time, teams were not required to dress a backup goaltender, so when the Rangers' starting goaltender Lorne Chabot left a game with an eye injury, Maroons Head Coach Eddie Gerard vetoed his original choice for a replacement (who was Alex Connell, another NHL goalie of the old Ottawa Senators who was in attendance for the game). An angry Patrick lined up between the pipes for two periods in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, allowing one goal to Maroons center Nels Stewart. Frank Boucher would eventually score the game-winning goal in overtime for New York. 1932-1933 Stanley Cup After a loss to the Bruins in the 1928–29 finals and an early struggle in the early 1930s, the Rangers (led by brothers Bill and Bun Cook) on the right and left wings respectively and Frank Boucher at center would defeat the Maple Leafs in the 1932–33 best-of-five finals three games to one to win their second Stanley Cup, exacting revenge on the Leafs' "Kid line" of Busher Jackson, Joe Primeau and Charlie Conacher. The Rangers would spend the rest of the 1930s playing close to 0.500 hockey until their next Cup win. Lester Patrick stepped down as head coach and was replaced by Frank Boucher. 1939-1940 Stanley Cup In the 1939–40 season, the Rangers finished the regular season in second place behind Boston. The two teams would then meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Bruins gained a two-games-to-one series lead from New York, but the Rangers recovered to win three-straight games, defeating the first-place Bruins four games to two. The Rangers' first round victory gave them a bye until the finals. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the New York Americans in their first round best-of-three series two games to one (even as the Americans had analytical and notorious ex-Bruins star Eddie Shore) and the Toronto Maple Leafs ousted the Chicago Black Hawks two games to none. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings then played a best-of-three series to determine who would go on to play the Rangers in the Cup Finals where Toronto swept Detroit, thus determining the Finals match-up. The 1940 Stanley Cup Finals commenced in Madison Square Garden in New York and the first two games went to the Rangers. In Game 1, the Rangers needed overtime to gain a 1–0 series lead, but they won Game 2 more easily with a 6–2 victory. The series then shifted to Toronto where the Maple Leafs won the next two games, tying the series at two games apiece. In both Games 5 and 6, the Rangers won in overtime, taking the series four games to two to earn their third Stanley Cup. The Rangers, however, would collapse by the mid-1940s, losing games by as much as 15–0 and having one goaltender post a 6.20 goals against average (GAA). They would then miss the playoffs for five consecutive seasons before they earned the fourth and final playoff spot in 1948. They lost in the first round and would miss the playoffs again in 1948–49 season. In the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals, the Rangers were forced to play all of their games on the road (home games in Toronto) while the circus was held at the Garden. They would eventually lose to the Detroit Red Wings in overtime in the seventh game of the finals. During this time, Red Wings owner James E. Norris became the largest stockholder in the Garden. However, he did not buy controlling interest in the arena, which would have violated the NHL's rule against one person owning more than one team. Nonetheless, he had enough support on the board to exercise de facto control. 1967-1993: The post-Original Six Era The Rangers remained a mark of futility in the NHL for most of the remainder of the Original Six era, missing the playoffs in 12 of the next 16 years. However, the team was rejuvenated in the late 1960s, symbolized by moving into the fourth version of Madison Square Garden in 1968. A year earlier, they made the playoffs for the first time in five years on the strength of rookie goaltender Eddie Giacomin and acquired 1950s Montreal Canadiens star right wing Bernie Geoffrion. The Rangers made the Finals twice in the 1970s, but lost both times to two '70s powerhouses; in six games to the Boston Bruins in 1972 (who were led by such stars as Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, Johnny Bucyk and Wayne Cashman) and in five games to the Canadiens in 1979 (who had Bob Gainey, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden, Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard). By the 1971–72 season, the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals despite losing high-scoring center Jean Ratelle (who had been on pace over Bruin Phil Esposito to become the first Ranger since Bryan Hextall in 1942 to lead the NHL in scoring) to injury during the stretch drive of the regular season. The strength of players such as Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert (the last three constructing the famed "GAG line", standing for "goal-a-game") would still carry them through the playoffs. They would defeat the defending-champion Canadiens in the first round and the Chicago Black Hawks in the second, but lost to the Bruins in the finals. The Rangers played a legendary Conference Semifinal series against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1973–74 playoffs, losing in seven games and becoming the first of the Original Six teams to lose a playoff series to a 1967 expansion team. This series was noted for a Game 7 fight between Dale Rolfe of the Rangers and Dave Schultz of the Flyers. The Rangers' new rivals, the New York Islanders, who entered the League in 1972 after paying a hefty territorial fee (some $4 million) to the Rangers, were their first round opponents in 1975. After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers 11 seconds into overtime of the deciding Game 3, establishing a rivalry that continued to grow for years. After some off years in the mid-to-late 1970s, New York acquired Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Bruins for Park, Ratelle and Joe Zanussi in 1975 while Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson would jump to the Rangers from the League's rival, the World Hockey Association (WHA). In 1979, New York then defeated the surging Islanders in the Conference Semifinals and would return to the Finals again before bowing out to the Canadiens. The Islanders got their revenge, however, eliminating the Rangers in four consecutive playoff series beginning in 1981 en route to their second of four consecutive Stanley Cup titles. The Rangers stayed competitive through the 1980s and early 1990s, making the playoffs each year. In the 1985–86 playoffs, the Rangers, behind the play of rookie goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, upended the Patrick Division-winning Flyers in five games followed by a six-game win over the Washington Capitals in the Patrick Division Finals. Montreal, however, disposed of the Rangers in the Wales Conference Finals behind a rookie goaltender of their own: Patrick Roy. The next year, the Rangers acquired superstar center Marcel Dionne after almost 12 years as a Los Angeles King. In 1988, Dionne moved into third place in career goals scored (since bettered by Brett Hull). "Because you love the game so much, you think it will never end", said Dionne, who spent nine games in the minors before retiring in 1989. He would only play 49 playoff games in 17 seasons with the Rangers, Kings and the Detroit Red Wings. Frustration was at its peak when the 1991–92 squad captured the Presidents' Trophy. They took a 2–1 series lead on the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and then faltered in three-straight (some observers note a Ron Francis slapshot from the blue line that eluded goaltender Mike Richter as the series' turning point). The following year, injuries and a 1–11 regular season finish landed the Rangers at the bottom of the Patrick Division after being in a playoff position for much of the season. Head Coach Roger Neilson did not finish the season. During this period, the Rangers were owned by Gulf+Western (which was renamed to Paramount Communications in 1989) and sold to Viacom in 1994. Viacom then sold the team to ITT Corporation and Cablevision, and a couple of years later, ITT sold their ownership stake to Cablevision (who owned the team until 2010) when they spun off the MSG properties as their own company. 1993-1994 Stanley Cup The 1993–94 NHL season was a successful one for Rangers fans as Mike Keenan led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years. Two years prior, they picked up center Mark Messier, a part of the Edmonton Oilers' Cup-winning teams. Other ex-Oilers on the Rangers included Adam Graves, Kevin Lowe, Jeff Beukeboom, Esa Tikkanen, Craig MacTavish and Glenn Anderson. Graves would set a team record with 52 goals, breaking the prior record of 50, held by Vic Hadfield. The Rangers clinched the Presidents' Trophy by finishing with the best record in the NHL at 52–24–8, setting a franchise record with 112 points earned. The Rangers successfully made it past the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the New York Islanders and then defeating the Washington Capitals in five games. However, in the Conference Finals against the third-seeded New Jersey Devils, the Rangers lost the series opener at home in double overtime, but they won the next two games before the Devils defeated them 3–1 and 4–1. The series headed back to the Meadowlands for the sixth game in which Messier scored three times in the final period to lead the Rangers to a 4–2 win and set up a seventh game back at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won game seven 2–1, when Stéphane Matteau scored a goal in double overtime, leading the team to the Finals for the first time since 1979. Up against the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers again lost the series opener at home in overtime. The Rangers bounced back and they won the next three games, allowing the Canucks just four goals. However, the Canucks won the next two 6–3 and 4–1 to set up a seventh game, for the second consecutive series, at home. In the seventh game, the Rangers took a 2–0 first period lead with Messier scoring later to put the Rangers up 3–1, the eventual Cup winning goal as the home team won 3–2, becoming the first (and to this date, the only) player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup. Brian Leetch became the first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP while Alexander Karpovtsev, Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Nemchinov and Sergei Zubov became the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup. 1994-2004: Expensive Acquistions Despite having coached the Rangers to a regular season first-place finish and the Stanley Cup, Head Coach Mike Keenan left after a dispute with General Manager Neil Smith. During the 1994–95 lockout-shortened season, the Rangers won their first-round series with the Quebec Nordiques, but they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Flyers in four games with succeeding Head Coach Colin Campbell. General Manager Neil Smith orchestrated a deal that sent Sergei Zubov and center Petr Nedved to Pittsburgh in exchange for defenseman Ulf Samuelsson and left winger Luc Robitaille in the summer of 1995. The next season, the Rangers defeated the Canadiens in six games, but they lost their second-round series to the Penguins in five games. The then Rangers acquired Wayne Gretzky in 1996. Gretzky's greatest accomplishment with the Rangers was leading them to the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals where they lost 4–1 to the Flyers, who were then led by Eric Lindros. Mark Messier (a former Oiler teammate of Gretzky's) left in the summer of 1997 and the team failed in a bid to replace him with Colorado Avalanche superstar Joe Sakic. The Rangers would go on to miss the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, finishing no higher than fourth in their division. In March of 2000, Smith was fired along with Head Coach John Muckler and during that summer, James Dolan hired Glen Sather to replace him. By the end of the 2000–01 season, the Rangers had landed a significant amount of star power. Messier had returned to New York, Theoren Fleury joined the Rangers after spending most of his career with the Calgary Flames and Eric Lindros was traded to the Rangers by the Flyers. The Rangers also acquired Pavel Bure late in the 2001–02 season from the Florida Panthers. It was also the rookie season of goalie Dan Blackburn, who made the NHL All-Rookie Team even as the Rangers fell back to last place in the Conference, and finished out of the playoffs. Later years saw other stars such as Alexei Kovalev, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Rucinsky and Bobby Holik added, but in the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, the team again missed the playoffs. Blackburn started strongly in the 2002–03 season, but he burned out after 17 games. He missed the 2003–04 season due to mononucleosis and a damaged nerve in his left shoulder. He could not rehabilitate the damaged nerve and was forced to retire at the age of 22. 2005-2013: Post-Lockout Revival Towards the end of the 2003–04 season, General Manager Glen Sather finally gave in to a rebuilding process by trading away Brian Leetch, Alexei Kovalev,and eight others for numerous prospects and draft picks. With the retirements of Pavel Bure and Mark Messier (as well as Eric Lindros signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs), the post-lockout Rangers (under new head coach Tom Renney) moved away from high-priced veterans towards a group of talented young players, such as Petr Prucha, Dominic Moore and Blair Betts. However, the focus of the team remained on veteran superstar Jaromir Jagr. The Rangers were expected to struggle during the 2005–06 season for their eighth consecutive season out of the post-season. For example, Sports Illustrated declared them the worst team in the League in their season preview, but behind stellar performances by Swedish rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, Martin Straka, Prucha and Jagr, the Rangers finished the season with their best record since 1993–94 (with 44–26–12). On March 29, 2006, Jagr broke the Rangers' single-season points record with a first-period assist in a 5–1 win against the New York Islanders. The assist gave him 110 points on the season, breaking Jean Ratelle's record. Less than two weeks later on April 8, 2006, Jagr scored his 53rd goal of the season against the Boston Bruins, breaking the club record previously held by Adam Graves. Two games prior, on April 4, 2006, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3–2 in a shootout to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 1996–97 season. On April 18, 2006, the Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators 5–1 and due to wins by Division rivals New Jersey and Philadelphia, the Rangers fell back to third place in the Atlantic and sixth in the Eastern Conference to end the season. In the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Rangers drew a matchup with the Devils and were defeated in a four-game sweep. In the process, they were outscored 17–4, as New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur took two shutouts and a 1.00 GAA to Lundqvist's 4.25. In the first game of the series, Jagr suffered an undisclosed injury to his left shoulder, diminishing his usefulness as the series progressed. He missed Game 2 of the series and was back in the lineup for Game 3, though he was held to just one shot on goal. However, onn his first shift of Game 4, Jagr re-injured his shoulder and he was unable to return for the remainder of the game. Jagr fell two points short of winning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 2005–06 (the San Jose Sharks' Joe Thornton claimed the award, his first, with 125 points), but Jagr did win his third Pearson Award as the players' choice for the most outstanding player. On opening night of the 2006–07 season, Jagr was named the first team captain of the Rangers since Mark Messier's retirement. With the Rangers doing so well in the 2005–06 season, expectations were raised for the 2006–07 season, evidenced by "Sports Illustrated" then predicting the Rangers would finish first in their division. Realizing that the team had trouble scoring goals in the 2005–06 campaign, the Rangers went out and signed long-time Detroit Red Wing Brendan Shanahan to a one-year contract. However, the organization remained committed to its rebuilding program despite the signing of the 37-year-old left winger. Though the Rangers started a bit slow in the first half of the 2006–07 season, the second half was dominated by the stellar goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. The acquisition of Sean Avery brought new life to the team, and the Rangers finished ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders to face the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers swept the series thanks to play from all around the ice. However, the Rangers lost the next round to the Buffalo Sabres by four games to two. At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Rangers chose Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall. Cherepanov had been ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau as the number one European skater and was considered to be a top five pick leading up to the draft, but fell due to teams being unsure whether he would ever come to the NHL from Russia. The 2007 free agency season started with a bang for the Rangers, signing two high-profile centerman, Scott Gomez from New Jersey on a seven-year, $51.5 million contract as well as Chris Drury from Buffalo on a five-year, $32.25 million deal. The moves (along with retaining most other key players) have been met favorably, as the Rangers appeared to be strong Stanley Cup contenders, making the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the second round for the second season in a row. However, despite these streaks, the Rangers failed to meet expectations, losing their second round series four games to one to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers were one of four NHL teams to open their 2008–09 season in Europe, being featured in the Victoria Cup final, defeating the European Champions Cup winner Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Bern, Switzerland. The Rangers followed by playing two NHL regular-season games against Tampa Bay in Prague on October 4 and 5, winning both games by 2–1 scorelines. A successful start to the season, however, was tempered with by the news of the death of 2007 first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov on October 13, 2008. After a disappointing second half of the season, coach Tom Renney was fired, with 2004 Stanley Cup winner John Tortorella named as his replacement. The Rangers made the 2009 playoffs, but lost their opening round series to the Washington Capitals four games to three after having a 3–1 series lead and a three chances to close the series. In the 2009–10 season, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five years. There was some criticism that the off-season acquisition of superstar Marian Gaborik, amongst other top-tier players, had not paid off. However, Gaborik scored 42 goals in the season, an impressive return for the team. In spite of a strong start (8–2) to the season, the Rangers appeared to play inconsistently with numerous losing streaks. By March of 2010, the Rangers were in danger of falling out of the 2010 playoff race entirely, but they registered a respectable 7–1–2 record to finish the season. The final two games of the season were a home-and-home against the Philadelphia Flyers. The first was April 9, 2010, in New York, and the Rangers skated away with the victory, keeping their post-season hopes alive. The final game of the season would become the deciding game to see who would make the playoffs. The Flyers peppered the Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist with 47 shots, but only scored once. The game would then go into a shootout, seeing the Flyers prevail to move on to the playoffs despite the strong overall finish to the season by the Rangers. For the 2010–11 season, the Rangers waived defenseman Wade Redden and brought in several players to achieve more balanced scoring. They wore a third jersey for the first time in several years. On November 12, 2010, the Rangers unveiled the new Heritage Jersey for the first time at the rink at Rockefeller Center in a special ceremony featuring Rangers alumni and current players discussing the history of the storied franchise. The club wore the jersey for the first time on November 17 when they played the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. The jersey was to be worn every time the Rangers play an Original Six team, or on a Sunday afternoon game at home. The Rangers' fate of making or missing the playoffs would come down to the final day of the regular season for the second-straight year. The team defeated the New Jersey Devils on the final day of the season to finish with 93 points on the year. In order to qualify for the 2011 playoffs, however, they would need the Carolina Hurricanes to lose their final game of the season, as Carolina owned the tiebreaker as both teams finished with the same number of points. Carolina ultimately did indeed lose its final game to Tampa Bay, 6–2, putting the Rangers in the playoffs after missing-out the previous season. The Rangers would then go on to face Washington in the first round. After blowing a 3–0 third period lead in Game 4, with Washington ahead in the best-of-seven series two games to one, the Rangers would go on to lose the series in five games. It was the second time in three years that the Capitals eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs. On May 13, 2011, Derek Boogaard (a player whom the Rangers signed for four years) was found deceased in his Minnesota apartment. On July 2, 2011, Brad Richards (an unrestricted free agent who had played with the Dallas Stars during the prior season) signed a nine-year, $60 million contract to play for the Rangers. On September 12, 2011, Ryan Callahan was named the 26th captain in New York Rangers history. He became the fifth-youngest captain in team history. Brad Richards and Marc Staal were named alternate captains on the same day. In the 2011–12 season, the Rangers finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Recording 51 wins, 24 regulation losses and seven overtime losses, the team finished with 109 points for the regular season. Their leading goal-scorer for the regular season was Marian Gaborik, who finished the season with 41 goals while playing all 82 games. The Rangers, however, missed-out on the Presidents' Trophy on the final day of the season to the Vancouver Canucks after a 4–1 loss to Washington. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers faced the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators. After falling behind 3–2 in the series, the Rangers bounced back to win Game 6 in Ottawa, as well as the deciding Game 7 at home, propelling them to the Conference Semifinals. In the Semifinals, the Rangers faced the Capitals. In Game 3, Marian Gaborik received a pass from Brad Richards to seal a victory 14:41 into the third overtime, giving the Rangers a 2–1 lead in the series. Washington then came back to tie the series 2–2 in Game 4. The Rangers avoided going down 3–2 in the series when Richards tied Game 5 at 2–2 with just 6.6 seconds left in the third period. The goal was scored on a power-play as a result of a high-sticking double-minor committed by Washington's Joel Ward on Rangers' forward Carl Hagelin. Then, in overtime, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal scored on the second penalty of the double-minor just 1:35 into overtime, giving the Rangers a 3–2 series lead. The Rangers went on to win the series 4–3, sending them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1997. In the Conference Finals, they faced the New Jersey Devils, a major divisional rival. The Rangers lost Game 6 in New Jersey, giving the Devils a 4–2 series win and ending the Rangers' season. 2013-2014: Return to the Final After the 2011–12 season and during the 2013 season, the Rangers signed Aaron Asham, Matt Gilroy]], Micheal Haley, Jeff Halpern, Darroll Powe and Roman Hamrlik. During that off-season, they also traded Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for All-Star Rick Nash, Steven Delisle and a 2013 conditional third-round pick. At the NHL trade deadline, the Rangers then traded Marian Gaborik to Columbus for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore. After the Rangers were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs by Boston, management fired Head Coach John Tortorella and on June 21, 2013, General Manager Glen Sather formally introduced ex-Canucks Head Coach Alain Vigneault as Tortorella's replacement, becoming the 35th head coach in franchise history. On March 5, 2014, the Rangers traded their captain Ryan Callahan, a first-round draft pick in 2015, and a second-rounder in 2014 for Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis. The trade occurred in large part after the Rangers and Callahan were unable to reach a contract extension in the days leading up to the deadline. During the regular season, the Rangers won 25 road games, setting a new franchise best. In the first round of the 2014 playoffs, New York defeated Philadelphia in seven games, and in the next round, the Rangers rallied from a 3–1 series deficit for the first time in their history to defeat Pittsburgh in seven games. They then defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games to become the Eastern Conference champions, moving on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. In the Finals, they faced the Los Angeles Kings, the Western Conference champions and champions in 2012. The Rangers led the first two games by two goals and eventually fell in overtime, and were then shut-out at home 3–0 in Game 3. The Kings outshot the Rangers in Game 4, but the Rangers staved off elimination by winning the game 2–1 to force a Game 5 in Los Angeles. They had another lead in Game 5, but after the game was tied and subsequently sent to overtime, Kings defenseman Alec Martinez scored with 5:17 left in the second overtime period to win the game for Los Angeles, 3–2, as well as the Stanley Cup. On June 20, 2014, a week after their season ended, the Rangers bought-out the remaining six years of Brad Richards' contract in order to free up salary cap space. This move left Marc Staal and Dan Girardi as the team's remaining alternate captains. 2014-2015: Third Presidents' Trophy On October 6, 2014, defenseman Ryan McDonagh was named the Rangers' 27th captain in team history along with Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Martin St. Louis serving as alternates. The Rangers would go on to win the Presidents' Trophy for the third time in franchise history, also finishing in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 113 points. After dispatching the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in the first round, they would come back from a 3–1 series deficit to win their series against the Capitals in seven games. However, after winning the first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers would lose Game 2 by four goals. The two teams split the first four games of the series, but the Rangers lost Game 5 by a 2–0 scoreline at home, which would give the Lightning an opportunity to clinch the Conference Finals in Tampa Bay. However, this did not happen in Game 6 as Derick Brassard scored a hat-trick and assisted on two other goals in an emphatic 7–3 Rangers victory to force a Game 7 in New York. However, in Game 7, Tampa Bay shut-out the Rangers 2–0, thereby ending the Rangers' season and marking the first occasion the Rangers had ever lost a Game 7 at home in franchise history (and the first time they lost an elimination game at home since they lost to Buffalo in 2007). 2015–present: Martin St. Louis's retirement and continued success On July 2, 2015, Martin St. Louis announced his retirement. The Rangers subsequently traded Carl Hagelin and Cam Talbot for Emerson Etem and various draft picks, with Antti Raanta becoming the backup goaltender to Lundqvist. Glen Sather stepped down as the general manager on July 2, 2015 and Jeff Gorton took his place. The team then signed Dylan McIlrath, Emerson Etem, and re-signed with J.T. Miller and Derek Stepan. The Rangers started off the season well. After 18 games, they had a 14–2–2 record and a 9-game winning streak, which was eventually halted by the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the organization soon went downhill in the winter, losing three straight games against the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. They eventually posted a 4–7–2 record in December for only 10 points. In January, the Rangers started playing more efficiently, posting a fair 6–4–1 record and improved in February by going on a 10–3–1 run without any back-to-back losses. On February 29, 2016, the Rangers acquired the Carolina Hurricanes' captain Eric Staal, who later left the team after the season. The Rangers finished the season with 101 points for back-to-back 100+ point seasons. Despite high hopes, the Rangers were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2016 playoffs in five games. During the off-season, the Rangers released Dominic Moore among several other players while re-signing Antti Raanta and signing Pavel Buchnevich on an entry-level contract. The team also added Michael Grabner, Brandon Pirri, Josh Jooris, traded their leading scorer Derick Brassard in exchange for Mika Zibanejad and signed the much-anticipated Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers finished the 2016–17 season in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 102 points. In the first round of the playoffs, they won their series against the Montreal Canadiens in six games. Uniforms The classic Rangers sweater has been in use since the franchise's foundation, with several alterations along the way. The current blue uniform has the serifed word "Rangers" in red and white drop shadow arranged diagonally, with red and white stripes on the sleeves and tail. Originally, the uniform was light blue, before it switched to a darker classic Rangers "Broadway Blue" in 1929. In addition, the original versions neither had a drop shadow nor were serifed. During the 1946–47 season, the word "Rangers" was arranged in an arch form above the sweater number. It adopted its current form the next season (along with dropshadowed numbers) except for a brief period where the city name was used, a tie-down collar was not used and the tail and sleeve stripes were separated by thin blue stripes. Red pants have been used with the uniform since the 1929–30 season. The white jerseys were first unveiled in the 1951–52 season, as part of a mandate that regulated NHL teams to have a dark home jersey and a light away jersey. The serifed word "Rangers" is also arranged diagonally, but in blue with red drop shadow. A quinticolor of blue, white and red stripes accentuate the tail and sleeves, while a blue shoulder yoke with white and red stripes completes the look. The white sweaters, with minor changes such as a tie-down collar and arched player names, have remained virtually unchanged since. During the tenure of General Manager John Ferguson, Sr., he sought to modernize the Rangers sweater by featuring rounded numbers, a darker shade of blue and the shield logo, which was unveiled in the 1976–77 season. A blue and red stripe (white and red stripe in the blue sweaters) extend from the yoke to the sleeves, while blue pants were used. However, it proved unpopular with the fans, and following the 1977–78 season it was replaced by an updated version of their classic uniforms. Ferguson used this similar design when he became GM of the original Winnipeg Jets. The modernized classic uniforms introduced in 1978 featured some subtle changes. Both jerseys featured a V-neck collar in a red-white-red pattern and bolder stripes on the sleeves and waistline. On the blue jersey, the red and white stripes were separated by thin blue stripes and the waistline stripes were raised above the hemline, so that the patterns on both jerseys matched. From 1978 to 1987, the blue jersey (then the road jersey) featured "NEW YORK" diagonally across the front instead of the traditional "RANGERS" wordmark, similar to their current heritage alternate jerseys. In 1997, the Rangers reverted the blue jersey's design, restoring the old striping pattern, and becoming the first team to re-introduce lace-up collars. The white jerseys followed suit in 1999, and the design was carried over to the Reebok Edge template in 2007. The Rangers currently use a heritage blue alternate jersey which was unveiled in the 2010–11 season. The front of the sweater features the city name in a sans-serif block lettering and in red with cream trim. The inside of the collar features the franchise's foundation year while retired player numbers are added inside the sweater below the back stripes. Unlike in their regular jerseys, the script is not dropshadowed, while the player name is in cream and in a different, almost horizontal, arch form. These third jerseys are currently worn when the Rangers play home games on Saturdays or against Original Six teams. The Rangers previously had a navy alternate jersey featuring the head of the Statue of Liberty with the team abbreviation (NYR) below in a futuristic script. Silver was used as an accent color, but the player names and numbers retain the same color schemes as the regular jerseys, except for a darker shade of blue. With the exception of a white version used in the 1998–99 season, this jersey was used from 1996 to 2007 and proved to be highly popular with fans. In the 2012 NHL Winter Classic, the Rangers wore a cream jersey combining classic and current styles. A different version of the shield logo was used, while the player names were arranged in a straight line. The stripes were also lessened, giving it a minimalist, vintage look, as most Winter Classic jerseys are. For the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, the Rangers used white jerseys with the city name in navy, silver and red. In addition, they feature diagonal stripes and sleeve numbers, and enlarged numbers on the back to make them more readable to spectators. The chrome version of the shield logo is placed in the left shoulder. Like the Winter Classic sweaters, player names are in a straight position. Season-by-Season Record This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the New York Rangers. (''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against'') Team Team Captains *Bill Cook, 1926–37 *Art Coulter, 1937–42 *Ott Heller, 1942–45 *Neil Colville, 1945–48 *Buddy O'Connor, 1949–50 *Frank Eddolls, 1950–51 *Allan Stanley, 1951–53 *Don Raleigh, 1953–55 *Harry Howell, 1955–57 *George Sullivan, 1957–61 *Andy Bathgate, 1961–64 *Camille Henry, 1964–65 *Bob Nevin, 1965–71 *Vic Hadfield, 1971–74 *Brad Park, 1974–75 *Phil Esposito, 1975–78 *Dave Maloney, 1978–80 *Walt Tkaczuk, 1980–81 *Barry Beck, 1981–86 *Ron Greschner, 1986–87 *Kelly Kisio, 1987–91 *Mark Messier, 1991–97 *Brian Leetch, 1997–2000 *Mark Messier, 2000–04 *Jaromir Jagr, 2006–08 *Chris Drury, 2008–11 *Ryan Callahan, 2011–14 *Ryan McDonagh, 2014–present Retired Numbers The Rangers have retired eight numbers for nine players in their history. Number 99 (Wayne Gretzky) was retired by the NHL in 2000, who finished his career in New York. ;Notes: * 1 The number was retired in honor of two different players. Hall of Famers *Glenn Anderson, RW, 1994, inducted 2008 *Andy Bathgate, RW, 1952–63, inducted 1978 *Doug Bentley, LW, 1953–54, inducted 1964 *Max Bentley, C, 1953–54, inducted 1966 *Frank Boucher, C, 1926–44, inducted 1958 *Johnny Bower, G, 1953–54, inducted 1976 *Pavel Bure, RW, 2002–03, inducted 2012 *Neil Colville, C, 1936–49, inducted 1967 *Bill Cook, RW, 1926–37, inducted 1952 *Bun Cook, LW, 1926–36, inducted 1995 *Art Coulter, D, 1935–42, inducted 1974 *Marcel Dionne, C, 1986–89, inducted 1992 *Dick Duff, LW, 1964–65, inducted 2006 *Phil Esposito, C, 1975–81, inducted 1984 *Bill Gadsby, D, 1954–61, inducted 1970 *Mike Gartner, RW, 1990–94, inducted 2001 *Bernie Geoffrion, RW, 1966–68, inducted 1972 *Eddie Giacomin, G, 1965–75, inducted 1987 *Rod Gilbert, RW, 1960–78, inducted 1982 *Wayne Gretzky, C, 1996–99, inducted 1999 *Doug Harvey, D, 1961–62, 1963–64, inducted 1973 *Bryan Hextall, RW, 1936–48, inducted 1969 *Tim Horton, D, 1970–71, inducted 1977 *Harry Howell, D, 1952–69, inducted 1979 *Ching Johnson, D, 1926–37, inducted 1958 *Jari Kurri, LW, 1996, inducted 2001 *Guy Lafleur, RW, 1988–89, inducted 1988 *Pat LaFontaine, C, 1997–98, inducted 2003 *Edgar Laprade, C, 1945–55, inducted 1993 *Brian Leetch, D, 1987–2004, inducted 2009 *Harry Lumley, G, 1943, inducted 1980 *Mark Messier, C, 1991–97, 2000–04, inducted 2007 *Howie Morenz, C, 1935–36, inducted 1945 *Buddy O'Connor, C, 1947–51, inducted 1988 *Brad Park, D, 1968–75, inducted 1988 *Lynn Patrick, LW, 1934–43, 1945–46, inducted 1980 *Jacques Plante, G, 1963–65, inducted 1978 *Babe Pratt, D, 1936–42, inducted 1966 *Jean Ratelle, LW, 1960–75, inducted 1985 *Chuck Rayner, G, 1945–55, inducted 1973 *Luc Robitaille, LW, 1995–97, inducted 2009 *Terry Sawchuk, G, 1969–70, inducted 1971 *Earl Seibert, D, 1931–36, inducted 1963 *Brendan Shanahan, LW, 2006–08, inducted 2013 *Babe Siebert, LW, 1932–35, inducted 1964 *Allan Stanley, D, 1948–54, inducted 1981 *Clint Smith, C, 1937–43, inducted 1991 *Gump Worsley, G, 1952–63, inducted 1980 Builders *Herb Brooks, Coach, 1981–85, inducted 2006 *Emile Francis, inducted 1982 *William M. Jennings, inducted 1974 *Roger Neilson, Coach, 1989–93, inducted 2002 *Craig Patrick, inducted 2001 *Lester Patrick, inducted 1945 *Lynn Patrick, inducted 1980 *Glen Sather, LW, 1970–73; Coach, 2002–04; General Manager, 2000–2015; President 2000–present; inducted 1997 *Fred Shero, D, 1947–50, Coach, 1978–81, inducted 2013 First-Round Draft Picks *1963: Al Osborne (4th overall) *1964: Bob Graham (3rd overall) *1965: Andre Veilleux (1st overall) *1966: Brad Park (2nd overall) *1967: Bob Dickson (6th overall) *1968: none *1969: André Dupont (8th overall) & Pierre Jarry (12th) *1970: Norm Gratton (11th overall) *1971: Steve Vickers (10th overall) & Steve Durbano (13th) *1972: Al Blanchard (10th overall) & Bob MacMillan (15th) *1973: Rick Middleton (14th overall) *1974: Dave Maloney (14th overall) *1975: Wayne Dillon (12th overall) *1976: Don Murdoch (6th overall) *1977: Lucien DeBlois (8th overall) & Ron Duguay (13th) *1978: none *1979: Doug Sulliman (13th overall) *1980: Jim Malone (14th overall) *1981: James Patrick (9th overall) *1982: Chris Kontos (15th overall) *1983: Dave Gagner (12th overall) *1984: Terry Carkner (14th overall) *1985: Ulf Dahlen (7th overall) *1986: Brian Leetch (9th overall) *1987: Jayson More (10th overall) *1988: none *1989: Steven Rice (20th overall) *1990: Michael Stewart (13th overall) *1991: Alexei Kovalev (15th overall) *1992: Peter Ferraro (24th overall) *1993: Niklas Sundstrom (8th overall) *1994: Dan Cloutier (26th overall) *1995: none *1996: Jeff Brown (22nd overall) *1997: Stefan Cherneski (19th overall) *1998: Manny Malhotra (7th overall) *1999: Pavel Brendl (4th overall) & Jamie Lundmark (9th) *2000: none *2001: Dan Blackburn (10th overall) *2002: none *2003: Hugh Jessiman (12th overall) *2004: Al Montoya (6th overall) & Lauri Korpikoski (19th) *2005: Marc Staal (12th overall) *2006: Bob Sanguinetti (21st overall) *2007: Alexei Cherepanov (17th overall) *2008: Michael Del Zotto (20th overall) *2009: Chris Kreider (19th overall) *2010: Dylan McIlrath (10th overall) *2011: J.T. Miller (15th overall) *2012: Brady Skjei (28th overall) *2013: none *2014: none *2015: none *2016: none Head Coaches General Managers Accolades Stanley Cup *1927–28, 1932–33, 1939–40, 1993–94 Victoria Cup *2008 Victoria Cup Presidents' Trophy *1991–92, 1993–94, 2014–15 Prince of Wales Trophy *1931–32, 1941–42, 1993–94, 2013–14 O'Brien Trophy *1949–50 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy *Jean Ratelle: 1970–71 *Rod Gilbert: 1975–76 *Anders Hedberg: 1984–85 *Adam Graves: 2000–01 *Dominic Moore: 2013–14 Calder Memorial Trophy *Kilby MacDonald: 1939–40 *Grant Warwick: 1941–42 *Edgar Laprade: 1945–46 *Pentti Lund: 1948–49 *Gump Worsley: 1952–53 *Camille Henry: 1953–54 *Steve Vickers: 1972–73 *Brian Leetch: 1988–89 Conn Smythe Trophy *Brian Leetch: 1993–94 Hart Memorial Trophy *Buddy O'Connor: 1947–48 *Chuck Rayner: 1949–50 *Andy Bathgate: 1958–59 *Mark Messier: 1991–92 James Norris Memorial Trophy *Doug Harvey: 1961–62 *Harry Howell: 1966–67 *Brian Leetch: 1991–92, 1996–97 King Clancy Memorial Trophy *Adam Graves: 1993–94 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy *Frank Boucher: 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35 *Clint Smith: 1938–39 *Buddy O'Connor: 1947–48 *Edgar Laprade: 1949–50 *Andy Hebenton: 1956–57 *Camille Henry: 1957–58 *Jean Ratelle: 1971–72, 1975–76 *Wayne Gretzky: 1998–99 Lester Patrick Trophy *William M. Jennings: 1970–71 *Terry Sawchuk: 1970–71 *Phil Esposito: 1977–78 *Fred Shero: 1979–80 *Emile Francis: 1981–82 *Lynn Patrick: 1988–89 *Rod Gilbert: 1990–91 *Frank Boucher: 1992–93 *Brian Mullen: 1994–95 *Herb Brooks: 2001–02 *John Davidson: 2003–04 *Brian Leetch & John Halligan: 2006–07 Lester B. Pearson Award *Jean Ratelle: 1971–72 *Mark Messier: 1991–92 *Jaromir Jagr: 2005–06 NHL Plus-Minus Award *Michal Rozsival: 2005–06 (shared with Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators) Vezina Trophy *Dave Kerr: 1939–40 *Eddie Giacomin & Gilles Villemure: 1970–71 *John Vanbiesbrouck: 1985–86 *Henrik Lundqvist: 2011–12 Single Season Records * Points: Jaromir Jagr (2005–06) – 123 * Goals: Jaromir Jagr (2005–06) – 54 * Assists: Brian Leetch (1991–92) – 80 * Plus/minus: Brad Park (1971–72) – +62 * Points by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1991–92) – 102 * Goals by a defenseman: Reijo Ruotsalainen (1984–85) – 28 * Points by a rookie: Mark Pavelich (1981–82) – 76 * Goals by a rookie: Tony Granato (1988–89) – 36 * Power play goals: Jaromir Jagr (2005–06) – 24 * Short-handed goals: Theoren Fleury (2000–01) – 7 * Game-winning goals: Ryan Callahan (2011–12), Brad Richards (2011–12), Jaromir Jagr (2005–06), Mark Messier (1996–97), Don Maloney (1980–81) and Rick Nash (2013–14) * Goaltending wins: Mike Richter (1993–94) – 42 * Goaltending wins by a rookie: Henrik Lundqvist (2005–06) * Goaltending shutouts: John Ross Roach (1928–1929) – 13 Franchise Scoring Leaders Category:NHL teams Category:New York Rangers